Team Malaysia

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Malaysian divers make progress in world rankings

Malaysian divers, especially the women, have made themselves and the country proud.
In the latest FINA Diving World Rankings, updated after the Malaysia
Diving Grand Prix last month, it’s pleasing to see that there is at
least one Malaysian ranked in the top 10 in each of the women’s
discipline.

Malaysia retained third spot in the women’s platform synchro
rankings, thanks to the silver medal feat of Leong Mun Yee and Cheong
Jun Hoong at the Diving World Cup in Shanghai in July. Malaysia had
36.33 points to finish behind China (38.33) and Canada (36.67).

Only the three best results within a 12-month period are added up and
divided by three. This average determines the ranking of a diver for
individual or a combination for the synchro event.

Malaysia’s tally came from the World Cup (43 points), and the other
two best results – second-place finish by Pandelela Rinong-Mun Yee in
the second leg of Diving World Series in Dubai in March (33) and
Pandelela-Jun Hoong winning silver at the home Grand Prix last month
(33).

That gave Malaysia a total of 113 points, which after divided by three equals 36.33 points.
Malaysia are ranked fifth in the women’s springboard synchro, thanks
to their ability to mix-and-match the likes of Pandelela, Jun Hoong,
Wendy Ng and Nur Dhabitah Sabri.

Pandelela, boosted by two World Series silver medals in Beijing and
Dubai, remained as world No. 4 in her pet event – the 10m platform
individual.
Jun Hoong, meanwhile, made the top-10 for the first time in her career.

The Ipoh-born Jun Hoong, who is only the second Malaysian diver to
win an individual gold medal – at the Grand Prix in Singapore last month
– is ranked world No. 7 in the springboard individual.

Commonwealth Games champion Ooi Tze Liang, as expected stood out
among the men divers. Tze Liang, who started the year as world No. 28,
climbed up 16 rungs to No. 12, thanks to the 40 points picked up from
his fifth-place finish at the World Cup.

As there are no more FINA-sanctioned international competitions after
the Malaysia Grand Prix, the rankings will not change until next year.